Finding ways to address teacher shortages
Faith-based education institutions are finding innovative ways to deal with teacher shortages across the country.
The Australian Christian Higher Education Alliance (ACHEA) said it was also eager to support state and federal governments in finding effective solutions for this problem.
“As the majority trainer of teachers and principals in independent faith-based [education institutions] in Australia, ACHEA has been well aware of what is now a teacher shortage crisis — especially in regional areas,” said Peter McKeon, Chair of the Australian Christian Higher Education Alliance (ACHEA) and Chief Executive of Excelsia College.
“There are solutions however, and over the last few years many of our institutions have been involved with piloting new relational and clinical based models of initial teacher education — which are already bearing fruit and in high demand among students.”
In regional NSW, the Clinical Teaching School Hubs is facilitated by Alphacrucis University College, where applications for places in the St Phillip’s Teaching School were more than 10 times the availability. They had high ATAR averages and a 95% retention rate.
In Queensland the CHC Initial Teacher Education model allows apprenticeship-like approaches to Initial Teacher Education, where education students are employed part-time as trainees in a Christian school while completing their studies. The feedback from students has been strong, with the model expanding throughout NSW, WA and the ACT through a partnership between Christian Heritage College and Morling College.
In South Australia, Tabor College is launching a new program to partner with faith-based schools where students gain valuable experience working as education assistants while undertaking a blended teacher training program.
“In our experience, money isn’t the primary driver for teacher careers, rather it is the supportive relational communities involved in delivering education,” McKeon said.
“Faith-based providers have always aimed to be communities of faith seeking understanding, and if we are to see long-term solutions to this crisis then we need government support for innovative teacher training programs which provide close mentoring, clinical opportunity, and are partnered closely with school communities on the ground.”
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